Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Israeli
Naval Forces stationed off Beit Lahia shore in the northern Gaza Strip confiscated
a Palestinian fishing boat anchored at approximately 5 nautical miles off
al-Wahah shore in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip the area, and then
pulled it. The Palestinian Center for
Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the continued targeting of fishermen and their
livelihoods. Economic and social rights of fishermen have been violated by the
illegal naval blockade imposed by Israeli authorities on the Gaza waters since
June 2007.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 12:15 on Tuesday, 23 December 2013, a group of Palestinian
fishermen, who were sailing on a boat, saw an Israeli gunboat accompanied with
two small rubber boats boarded by Israeli naval forces heading to a Palestinian
boat anchored in the sea at approximately 5 nautical miles off al-Wahah shore
in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.
One of the fishermen said that he saw the Israeli forces pulling the
Palestinian boat belonging to ‘Adel Sa’id Mohammed Abu Ryalah (41) from Shati’a
refugee camp in Gaza City. They then
headed to the north to the Israeli waters.
‘Adel Abu Ryalah said to a PCHR fieldworker that at approximately 15:00
on Monday, 22 December 2013, he sailed his boat, which holds license no. 12385,
and went with a number of boats to al-Wahah shore in Beit Lahia. They arrived at approximately 5 nautical
miles. He added that he anchored the
boat, which has no engine and 2 generators, 5 searchlights, and two paddles on
board, in the waters. He then left the
sea on another boat. He said that after
the recent storm, he is used to leaving daily the boat and coming back in the
next day as he used it for bringing fish.
Abu Ryalah also said that on Tuesday he sailed to the same area, where
his boat was anchored, as he knew from fishermen, who were on the board of
another boat, that the Israeli naval forces confiscated his boat.

PCHR condemns the continued Israeli attacks against
Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and:

1.Calls for immediately stopping the policy of chasing
and arresting Palestinian fishermen, and allowing them to sail and fish freely;

2.Demands compensation for the fishermen for the
physical and material damage caused to them and their property as a result of
these violations;

3.Calls upon the international community, including the
High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 Relative to
the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, to immediately intervene to
stop the Israeli violations against the Palestinian fishermen and to allow them
to sail and fish freely in the Gaza Sea.